It is well-known that fetuses have substantial capacities for movement, for learning, and for memory retention during in utero development prior to birthing. It is also known that the womb environment and external influences on the womb environment have powerful formative effects on fetal development and on fetal bonding with their mothers. A developing fetus can perceive and respond to sensory input from within and outside the womb primarily through tactile stimuli and auditory stimuli. Fetal hearing is considered likely to be the most developed of all the senses before birth. The gestation period from approximately 25 weeks through 6 months is the most critical to the development of the neurosensory components of the fetal auditory system, during which time stimulation in the form of speech, music, and meaningful environmental sounds is essential for the critical tuning of the hair cells in the cochlea to occur.
Outwardly perceivable deliberate fetal movements can be detected as early as 20 weeks, and this movement is a powerful mechanism for defining the fetus's body and sense of self as well as for engaging in “dialogue” with the outside world. Fetuses respond to stimuli such as their mothers' voices and sounds outside their wombs with deliberate movements and with physiological changes such as heart rate. Furthermore, it is apparent that in utero fetuses have postnatal memory retentions of repeated frequent stimuli such as lullabies sung repeatedly. Fetuses have even been conditioned to kick in response to controlled auditory and vibrotactile stimuli under experimental conditions.
Extrapolating from the numerous studies on fetal development could suggest that an unborn child not only has the basic potential for interaction with a specialized musical instrument, but also that its developing body and mind may thrive on such auditory and kinaesthetic interaction with the outside world.